Snowmass Colorado
Snowmass is a condo town built right along the slopes of one of Colorado's biggest ski mountains. While it's largely for intermediates and beginners, the area also has some excellent steeps. more info
Aspen Airport service to Aspen & Snowmass Resort. 6-passenger vans w/extra cargo room for skis/gear.
Access thousands of hiking, biking and fishing trails - unlimited topos/maps and free trial!
Located 12 miles from Aspen and sharing its lift pass, Snowmass offers 90% ski-in lodging and free postcards and stamps to anyone wanting to write home about their experiences on North America's longest half-pipe. In 1997, the installation of a high altitude surface lift to access the powder filled bowls of The Cirque, previously only available with the aid of a snowcat or a hike, gave it the biggest lift-served vertical drop in the country.
The poma lift on The Cirque operates 60 to 75 days of the year accessing terrain suited to intermediates and experts. The purpose of the limited access is to prevent over-exploitation of the terrain and a surface lift can operate in windy conditions that could stop a chair.
Snowmass has long been described as a cruiser's mountain. The Big Burn allows you to activate your autopilot, and the cruise from the top of Elk Camp to Fanny Hill lasts 4 miles. But if you know where to go, you can find jaw-dropping steeps, cornices, chutes and cliffs. Just think left. The Hanging Valley area is to your left as you unload from the High Alpine lift, and the Cirque Headwall and East Wall lay just to the left of the wind-powered Cirque lift at the 12,510-foot summit. On big snow days, you'll want to line up early for the rope-drop into Roberto's or Possible that lead into the Hanging Valley Glades.
Snowmass Village seems to stretch forever uphill. Like Keystone or Copper Mountain, this is a purpose-built winter resort. A village mall has shops, restaurants, bars and skier services. Hundreds of condos line the lower part of the resort, and about 95 percent of the lodging is ski-in/ski-out. It doesn't get much more convenient than Snowmass.
A note to those staying in a ski-in/ski-out condo: Turn around and "bookmark" your place before you head down to the lift for your first run. Otherwise you may have a heck of a time knowing where to cut off from the ski run to your place in a sea of similar places at the end of the day.
Snowmass, CO Weather
Currently Outside 34FPassing clouds. Chilly. |
Other pages you might find helpful:
Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute researches, discusses, and educates on issues related to oil and energy policy.
The Windstar Foundation
The Windstar Foundation promotes environmental education through conferences, research, and scholarships.
Town of Snowmass Village
The Official site for the town of Snowmass Village.
